Amazon Cloud Cam review roundup – It’s great for the price, but missing some features

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Alright, folks, the reviews are in for the all-new Amazon Cloud Cam. We’re here to round up all the best reviews and feedback regarding Amazon Cloud Cam. From the looks of it, the reviews are all positive, with a few exceptions. But with anything, you can judge for yourself.

The format is simple. We’ll outline key sections from each review in quotations, with a link pointing back to the original review for further reading. There’s no particular order, but all of the reviews sourced here are from trustworthy publications I read on a normal basis. If none of the links I provide here help you out, I’ll drop an additional link at the bottom where you can find more.

So, without any further delay, here’s what some of the best leading publications in tech have to say about the new Amazon Cloud Cam.

CNET

Image: CNET

[letsreviewunique pros_title=”The Good” pros=”The $120 Amazon Cloud Cam’s crisp 1080p HD live feed, prompt motion notifications and free 24-hour clip storage set a new value standard for DIY indoor home security cameras.” cons_title=”The Bad” cons=”Only Amazon cloud subscribers can set motion zones and receive person alerts. Continuous recording is not available (even for subscribers), and there’s no local microSD card storage.” accent=”#911d9c” final_score=”85″ format=”2″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″][/letsreviewunique]

There isn’t much to dislike about the $120 Amazon Cloud Cam. The DIY indoor security camera is affordable, it performs well, its app is easy to use, and it offers plenty of features (free 24-hour clip storage!), even if you don’t pay for a Cloud Cam subscription. By keeping things simple, Amazon has managed to produce a superior product I heartily recommend. I do wish it had local microSD card storage, but Amazon put the full power of its AWS cloud servers behind Cloud Cam, and it works incredibly well.

> Read the full review here.

The Verge

Image: The Verge

[letsreviewunique pros_title=”The Good” pros=”Alexa voice controls,Crisp 1080p video quality,Low price” cons_title=”The Bad” cons=”Limited people and pet tracking,Service plans required to access video clips,Not weather sealed” accent=”#911d9c” final_score=”80″ format=”2″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″][/letsreviewunique]

Home security is clearly not Amazon’s main focus. So the big question in my mind is, will consumers choose the Cloud Cam over more dedicated providers like Canary or Ring simply because they offer an extremely competitive price? I think a lot of that depends on what Amazon does over the next year or two. If it continues to invest in the product and expand it functionality, that will help to build consumers trust in the Cloud Cam as a serious security device, not just a hardware experiment.

> Read the full review here.

TechHive

Image: Digital Trends

[letsreviewunique pros_title=”The Good” pros=”Excellent video quality,Motion detection can differentiate between human activity and other movement,Can view camera feed on Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV devices, and Fire tablets” cons_title=”The Bad” cons=”Some advanced features require a cloud-storage subscription,No provision for manually recording video or taking a screenshot of your feed,You’ll need to buy a replacement power cord to enroll in the Amazon Key service” accent=”#911d9c” final_score=”95″ format=”2″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″][/letsreviewunique]

Amazon managed to pull off a tall task with its first security camera, outfitting it with advanced smart home and security features and making it dead simple to use. The Cloud Cam also has the potential to get smarter the more you use it: Stored video clips are reviewed using AWS cloud analytics, the company says, and over time the camera will recognize who and what are fixtures of your home and stop alerting you when your dog walks into the living room, for example.

> Read the full review here.

Tom’s Guide

Image: Tom’s Guide

[letsreviewunique pros_title=”The Good” pros=”Inexpensive,Intuitive app,Can distinguish between people and pets,Good video quality” cons_title=”The Bad” cons=”Requires monthly subscription for extra features,Limited smart home integration” accent=”#911d9c” final_score=”70″ format=”2″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″][/letsreviewunique]

All in all, the Amazon Cloud Cam is a safe entry for the shopping giant. It’s less expensive than its competitors, delivers good-quality video with a robust feature set and has good cloud storage options. However, with the exception of Amazon Key, there’s nothing that makes this camera stand out from others on the market. But maybe that’s all Amazon needs; its devices are there to make it easier for you to buy things; if the Cloud Cam makes it easier for you to receive the things you purchase, then it’s done its job.

> Read the full review here.

SlashGear

Image: SlashGear

[letsreviewunique pros_title=”The Good” pros=”Affordable camera undercuts the competition,Cloud storage plans are more affordable for multi-cam setups,1080p day and night vision is solid” cons_title=”The Bad” cons=”Free service doesn’t include video downloads,Alexa integration is basic,120-degree lens is narrower than some rivals” accent=”#911d9c” final_score=”70″ format=”2″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″][/letsreviewunique]

There’s a lot to like about the Amazon Cloud Cam. It’s affordable, easy to set up, and works as promised. The Alexa integration feels a little half-baked right now, though, and I’d really like to see video history supported there too. Most frustrating, however, is the inability to download clips unless you’re a subscriber: that’s one of the most annoying aspects of Nest, and somewhere other rivals have a clear advantage.

> Read the full review here.

Well, that’s about it. If you want to browse through some more reviews, click here and it will lead to a broader selection of links.

The Amazon Cloud Cam is now available for purchase retails at $119.99 via Amazon. To learn more, click here.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.